Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

There's an ocean of charm to swim in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," (IMDb listing)
a slightly madcap, endearing comedy that restores a little old
fashioned screwball magic to the uptight film marketplace. Oh, and it
helps to have two of the industry's best actresses on display in
meaty, observant roles.

Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a dour, homeless governess
looking for a job in pre-WWII London. Using a bit of uncharacteristic
deception to secure employment, Pettigrew lands on the doorstep of
Delysia LaFosse (Amy Adams), a starlet with as many boyfriends as
there are days of the week. LaFosse needs Pettigrew's discipline as
she climbs social ladders, playing the men off each other to further
her career. For Pettigrew, the opportunity offers her new clothes, a
makeover, and a chance to bask in the glow of wealth and privilege. As
the day wears on, both women discover the true consequences of love,
finding they can learn from each other in unexpected areas of life.

"Miss Pettigrew" is not only set in the 1930s, but also pilfers cues
from the filmmaking techniques of the era. At times it's a broad
comedy with ace comic timing, and while director Bharat Nalluri ("The
Crow: Salvation") is an unlikely choice for a production general, he
choreographs the joviality with ease, salvaging tiny fragments of
Preston Sturges-style screen agility and lends it a modern twist by
encouraging the actors to emote more deeply beyond the glassy surface.
Nalluri also dives into the material with a great appetite and
respects the fine edges of comedy and tragedy, mixing them up to
thrilling results.

"Pettigrew" is an actor's picture, and with McDormand and Adams
guiding the show, there's little room for disappointment. Embodying
uptight vocational panic, McDormand eases into the role slowly,
maintaining Pettigrew's aversion to the high-flying lifestyle of
decadence she's fallen into while nurturing an increasing sense of
comfort and pleasure from her new friends, watching her disapprovals
twirl into sympathies. The actress uses her reactions as the spine of
the performance, and that opens up a road map of nuance few could pull
off. Pettigrew is a knowing shrew, yet in McDormand's interpretation,
she's a wellspring of curiosity that gives the picture unusual
dramatic heft.

Adams is strawberry bubble gum and doesn't just chase after the
performance, she boards it like a rocket and blasts off. It's equal
parts adorability, cunning allure, and million-dollar charm. Adams has
the showier role, but she doesn't allow for any one-dimensionality to
LaFosse, playing the industry desperation just as strongly as her
bubbly helium hits of comedy. Adams and McDormand make for a swell
screen team, only to be further enhanced by the likes of Ciaran Hinds
as a lingerie designer who finds Pettigrew enchanting, Lee Pace as
LaFosse's one true love, and Shirley Henderson, evoking rusted cold
steel as the keeper of Pettigrew's secret.

While the screenplay (adapted from the 1938 novel by
Winifred Watson) touches down in the midsection to sort out the
emotional realities of the ladies, it concludes on a poignant note of
fairy-dusted Hollywood twists and sincere emotion, radiating from the
talent. Fanciful, high-wire period comedy usually falls flat on its
face, but "Miss Pettigrew" is intelligent, captivating, and manages to
avoid the common pitfalls, culminating in something actually quite
special.

There's an ocean of charm to swim in \"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,\" (IMDb listing) \na slightly madcap, endearing comedy that restores a little old\nfashioned screwball magic to the uptight film marketplace. Oh, and it\nhelps to have two of the industry's best actresses on display in\nmeaty, observant roles.\n\n\n

\nMiss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a dour, homeless governess\nlooking for a job in pre-WWII London. Using a bit of uncharacteristic\ndeception to secure employment, Pettigrew lands on the doorstep of\nDelysia LaFosse (Amy Adams), a starlet with as many boyfriends as\nthere are days of the week. LaFosse needs Pettigrew's discipline as\nshe climbs social ladders, playing the men off each other to further\nher career. For Pettigrew, the opportunity offers her new clothes, a\nmakeover, and a chance to bask in the glow of wealth and privilege. As\nthe day wears on, both women discover the true consequences of love,\nfinding they can learn from each other in unexpected areas of life.\n\n

\n\n\"Miss Pettigrew\" is not only set in the 1930s, but also pilfers cues\nfrom the filmmaking techniques of the era. At times it's a broad\ncomedy with ace comic timing, and while director Bharat Nalluri (\"The\nCrow: Salvation\") is an unlikely choice for a production general, he\nchoreographs the joviality with ease, salvaging tiny fragments of\nPreston Sturges-style screen agility and lends it a modern twist by\nencouraging the actors to emote more deeply beyond the glassy surface.\nNalluri also dives into the material with a great appetite and\nrespects the fine edges of comedy and tragedy, mixing them up to\nthrilling results.\n\n

\n\n\"Pettigrew\" is an actor's picture, and with McDormand and Adams\nguiding the show, there's little room for disappointment. Embodying\nuptight vocational panic, McDormand eases into the role slowly,\nmaintaining Pettigrew's aversion to the high-flying lifestyle of\ndecadence she's fallen into while nurturing an increasing sense of\ncomfort and pleasure from her new friends, watching her disapprovals\ntwirl into sympathies. The actress uses her reactions as the spine of\nthe performance, and that opens up a road map of nuance few could pull\noff. Pettigrew is a knowing shrew, yet in McDormand's interpretation,\nshe's a wellspring of curiosity that gives the picture unusual\ndramatic heft.\n\n

\n\nAdams is strawberry bubble gum and doesn't just chase after the\nperformance, she boards it like a rocket and blasts off. It's equal\nparts adorability, cunning allure, and million-dollar charm. Adams has\nthe showier role, but she doesn't allow for any one-dimensionality to\nLaFosse, playing the industry desperation just as strongly as her\nbubbly helium hits of comedy. Adams and McDormand make for a swell\nscreen team, only to be further enhanced by the likes of Ciaran Hinds\nas a lingerie designer who finds Pettigrew enchanting, Lee Pace as\nLaFosse's one true love, and Shirley Henderson, evoking rusted cold\nsteel as the keeper of Pettigrew's secret.\n

\n While the screenplay (adapted from the 1938 novel by\nWinifred Watson) touches down in the midsection to sort out the\nemotional realities of the ladies, it concludes on a poignant note of\nfairy-dusted Hollywood twists and sincere emotion, radiating from the\ntalent. Fanciful, high-wire period comedy usually falls flat on its\nface, but \"Miss Pettigrew\" is intelligent, captivating, and manages to\navoid the common pitfalls, culminating in something actually quite\nspecial.